Physics of the Interstellar and Intergalactic Medium

An essential resource for graduate students and astrophysicists

This is a comprehensive and richly illustrated textbook on the astrophysics of the interstellar and intergalactic medium-the gas and dust, as well as the electromagnetic radiation, cosmic rays, and magnetic and gravitational fields, present between the stars in a galaxy and also between galaxies themselves.

Topics include radiative processes across the electromagnetic spectrum; radiative transfer; ionization; heating and cooling; astrochemistry; interstellar dust; fluid dynamics, including ionization fronts and shock waves; cosmic rays; distribution and evolution of the interstellar medium; and star formation. While it is assumed that the reader has a background in undergraduate-level physics, including some prior exposure to atomic and molecular physics, statistical mechanics, and electromagnetism, the first six chapters of the book include a review of the basic physics that is used in later chapters. This graduate-level textbook includes references for further reading, and serves as an invaluable resource for working astrophysicists.

• Essential textbook on the physics of the interstellar and intergalactic medium
• Based on a course taught by the author for more than twenty years at Princeton University
• Covers radiative processes, fluid dynamics, cosmic rays, astrochemistry, interstellar dust, and more
• Discusses the physical state and distribution of the ionized, atomic, and molecular phases of the interstellar medium
• Reviews diagnostics using emission and absorption lines
• Features color illustrations and detailed reference materials in appendices
• Instructor's manual with problems and solutions (available only to teachers)

Auteur
Bruce T. Draine is professor of astrophysical sciences at Princeton University and a member of the National Academy of Sciences.

Résumé
As commercial and military spacecraft become more important to the world's economy and defense, and as new scientific and exploratory missions are launched into space, the need for a single comprehensive resource on spacecraft charging becomes increasingly critical. Fundamentals of Spacecraft Charging is the first and only textbook to bring together all the necessary concepts and equations for a complete understanding of the subject. Written by one of the field's leading authorities, this essential reference enables readers to fully grasp the newest ideas and underlying physical mechanisms related to the electrostatic charging of spacecraft in the space environment. Assuming that readers may have little or no background in this area, this complete textbook covers all aspects of the field. The coverage is detailed and thorough, and topics range from secondary and backscattered electrons, spacecraft charging in Maxwellian plasmas, effective mitigation techniques, and potential wells and barriers to operational anomalies, meteors, and neutral gas release. Significant equations are derived from first principles, and abundant examples, exercises, figures, illustrations, and tables are furnished to facilitate comprehension. Fundamentals of Spacecraft Charging is the definitive reference on the physics of spacecraft charging and is suitable for advanced undergraduates, graduate-level students, and professional space researchers.Some images inside the book are unavailable due to digital copyright restrictions.